March Madness: North Carolina meets Kansas in men's basketball finale

April 4 (UPI) -- Kansas and North Carolina will meet in the 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball National Championship game Monday night in New Orleans. Kansas is a 4-point favorite to win the title.

The game tips off at 9:20 p.m. EDT and airs on TBS.

North Carolina will attempt to win a seventh national title. Top-seeded Kansas looks to add a fourth title in men's basketball and a second under coach Bill Self, who led the Jayhawks to a championship in 2008.

"We are thrilled to be here and have a chance to play for a championship," Self told reporters Sunday at a news conference.

"It's time to forget about [the celebration] and focus on what's next."

The No. 8 Tar Heels and Jayhawks posted similar statistics so far this season. The Tar Heels led the nation in rebounds, while the Jayhawks ranked fourth.

The Jayhawks (33-6) beat No. 16 Texas Southern, No. 9 Creighton, No. 4 Providence, No. 10 Miami and No. 2 Villanova to reach the title game at the Caesars Superdome.

The Jayhawks and Tar Heels averaged 78.4 and 78.1 points per game, respectively. The Jayhawks shot 47.9% from the field in their games so far, while the Tar Heels made 45.08% of their shots. Both teams made about 36.1% of their 3-point attempts.

"We are going to have to handle their pressure," Tar Heels first-year coach Hubert Davis said. "Defensively they are really good. They do a terrific job pressuring the ball full court after made and missed baskets. They make it very difficult to pass the ball and get into your offense.

"Defensively, the biggest thing is transition defense. On film, they appear to be the fastest transition team I've seen this year. ... They sprint to offense."

Senior guards Remy Martin and Ochai Agbaji lead the Jayhawks. Martin claimed Midwest Region MVP honors. AgbaJi, a Wooden Award finalist, is one of the top scorers in the country, averaging 18.9 per game, and one of the nation's top 3-point shooters (41.1%).

Christian Braun, Jalen Wilson and David McCormack are among the Jayhawks' other top scorers.

"This is the moment every kid dreams to be in," Agbaji said Sunday. "To play for a national championship for their school and to represent their school on the highest stage of basketball and to play in front of all of these people is a dream come true.

"We are excited and ready to play."

The Tar Heels (29-9) beat No. 9 Marquette, No. 1 Baylor, No. 4 UCLA, No. 15 Saint Peter's and No. 2 Duke in their previous five tournament games.

Junior forward/center Armando Bacot claimed East Region MVP honors for the Tar Heels. He averaged 15.4 points and 16.8 rebounds per game through his first five tournament appearances. He also is one of the top rebounders in the country, leads the nation with 30 double doubles and has made nearly 58% of his shots this season.

Davis told reporters Sunday that Bacot, who rolled his ankle in the Final Four, will play in the title game.

Senior forward Brady Manek and sophomore guards Caleb Love and R.J. Davis are among the Tar Heels' other top players. Love erupted for 28 points in the Tar Heels' Final Four win over Duke. Manek is one of the top 3-point shooters in the country (40.08%).

"We've been gelling all year," Love told reporters. "We have one more game left to solidify it."

The Tar Heels averaged the third-most rebounds and fifth-most points per game (82.2) through the tournament. The Jayhawks averaged 77 points per game in the tournament en route to New Orleans.

The Jayhawks made 40.7% of their 3-point attempts so far in the tournament. The Tar Heels hit 36% of their shots from downtown.